In an interview with ThePrint, the quota leader also threatened a bigger protest if his demand of granting Marathas Kunbi caste certificates under OBC category is not met by 6 June.
The internet services were suspended in Jalna, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Beed districts to avoid any untoward incident due to rumours on social media platforms.
Phule is portrayed as an ally of Brahmin reformists who fight against the orthodox members of their community rather than as a standalone non-Brahmin hero.
Maratha quota activist started from Jalna village Saturday after Eknath Shinde govt's failure to stop him, tells community it 'should not back down before getting reservation'.
Through his OSD Mangesh Chivate, Shinde has been extending all the support Jarange-Patil has been asking for, earning the activist's trust & cementing his own leadership as a Maratha CM.
The agitation for the Maratha quota had turned violent, with protesters 'torching the homes of two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs' in Beed in October.
Anand Nirgude tendered his resignation, without citing any reason, on 4 December, soon after 2 other members, Balaji Killarikar & Laxman Hake, quit over ‘govt interference’ in panel’s work.
As Jarange-Patil grows into the role of a pan-Maharashtra Maratha leader with his state-wide tours and rallies, organisational and financial help is pouring in from all quarters.
NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who had grown muted after being embroiled in graft cases and serving jail time, is now making an aggressive bid to fill the OBC leadership void.
Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil will start tour from 15 November, primarily covering Thane, Raigad and Western Maharashtra in third phase of agitation.
In West Bengal, I have never seen the Communists wear red to a polling station, nor TMC any green and perhaps only a rare BJP leader arriving in saffron. Such different scenes from Gujarat where Modi and Amit Shah went to cast their vote wearing saffron.
About 300 employees had called in sick Wednesday, allegedly in protest against mismanagement of airlines. Remaining staff given ultimatum to rejoin work by end of Thursday.
A theme has not yet emerged for BJP & people see lack of a contest, which makes it unexciting. For all these reasons, 2024 is turning out to be an unexpectedly theme-less election.
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